Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit will speak at a town hall next week to explain his department’s involvement with Customs and Immigration Enforcement.

Heit tells us the county has a 287(g) agreement with ICE, and there are potentially three ways a sheriff’s department could cooperate with ICE through a 287(g).

“The warrant service module is the one that I have signed, and it really doesn’t change anything from what we’ve done for over 25 years,” Heit said. “So if someone is in custody in the jail and we get notified of an ICE hold, they have 48 hours to come get them. They’ll let us know that they’re going to come and we hold them for it. And to me, that’s the safest way to deal with it.”

Heit says if someone’s already in custody, it’s probably best not to release them early so they commit more crimes. He believes some in the community don’t understand the sheriff’s department arrangement with ICE.

“I think there’s misunderstanding because when you hear the 287(g), it’s a broad — there’s a lot more to it in different modules. And the only module we have done is the warrant service module, which is when they’re already in custody.”

Heit will speak at the town hall on Wednesday, April 29 at Zion St. Joe UCC Church on Veronica Drive in St. Joseph. It starts at 6 p.m.

State Representative Joey Andrews will also be at the town hall to discuss the impact the ICE agreement has had on the community.